Improvement in melodeons



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J. BERGER. MELODEON.

No. 64,741. Patented May 14, 1867.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J'. BERGER. MELODEON.

Patented May 14, 1867.

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JONAS BERGER. OF KNOXVILLE, lLLlNOlS.

Letters Patent .No. 64,741, dated llfay 14, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN MELODEONS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JONAS BERGER, of Knoxville, in the county of Knox, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Melodeons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 of sheet 1 is a front view of my improved upright rnolodeon, represented without the proper casing, and the lower part appertaining thereto for supporting the same.

Figure 2, a back view.

Figure 3 of sheet 2, a side view.

Figure 4, a horizontal section, as indicated by the line .1 3/ in the three previous figures.

Likelettcrs in the different figures of the drawings indicate like parts.

The nature of my invention consists of the following improvements in the construction of melodcons: First, providing a melodeon with a double row of reed-grooves, with the reeds suitably arranged therein, and com. bining therewith four swells, so arranged that, by the action of a series of-levers pivoted to the framing of the melodcon, and connecting in a proper manner with the swells, five diii'ercntly distinct sounds may be produced. In connection with this improvement I construct a double bellows,and arrange the same perpendicularly, so that the requisite quantity of air or wind may be'obtained to produce the above result, and provide a coupling or couplings diagonally arranged across a bar in the rear of the key-board, and so connected with standards of the'k-eys that a combined action of two keys may be had at the same time, to produce a. greater power in the tone of the instrument. My improvement in this respect only relates to the arrangement of the coupling by which this result is reached.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A represent two boxes, supported properly by upright framingf In these two boxes are constructed the reed-grooves a, seen in dotted lines in fig. 1. One reed is shown only in the outer right and left grooves of the upper and lower-boxes, (see b in same figure.) Attached in a proper manner to the valves of the reeds within, as ordinarily, are wires or straps B, connecting with the standards 0 of the keys of the key-board D. The stops are shown in red lines, (see c in fig. 1,) and are operated by elbow-levers EZ, properly connecting therewith, and pivoted to plates on the boxes. The upper and lower boxes each have two swells E E, so arranged as to be opened and closed independently of each other. This is efi'ected by a series of levers arranged in the following manner: An elbowlevcr F (see more clearly fig. 3) is secured to the framing by a pivot, c. The horizontal part of the same is connected to a short link, a, which is connected ti) the lower corner end of the upper swell. The vertical part has a pivot at its lower end, fitting into an open slotted end of the lever f. This lever is pivoted at its centre to the short barf of the framing; its end has a pivot fitting into an open slotted end of the short operating lever g, which is pivoted at its centre to the short bar y. This arrangement of lovers justdescribed for operating one swell is made the same for operating the others. A spring, G, curved partly over on each swell, and attached to the top of each box, is for the purpose of closing them. The bellows H is constructed double, and is attached perpendicularly to the framing in the rear of the reed-groove boxes, and so arranged as to give the proper effect of the air or wind to the reeds therein. In the rear of the standards of the keys is a plate or bar, I, arranged transversely over and a little above the key-board. Extending diagonally across the plate, and pivoted to the top thereof, is the coupling-lever it, one end of which connects with the outer standard of the key; the other connecting with a short lever, it, extending through a slot in the plate,

and attached to the opposite outer key-standard. A sliding bar, 2', is arranged in a recess in the plate, across the short lever h, in agroove thereof. Attached thereto and to the plate, by pivots, are two short bars jy'.

Operation: There will be suitable hand-levers connecting with the lower short levers of the swells for pulling them out, so that the swells may be opened. When the bellows and key-board have been suitably operated on, by pulling out Nos. 1 and 2, fig- 1, the upper left and lower right-hand swells will be opened, whereby a certain sound will be produced. On pulling out Nos. 3 and 4, the upper right and left-hand lower swells will be opened; another will be produced. On pulling out Nos. 1 and 4, the upper swells will be opened anothe'n On pulling out Nos. 2 and. 3, another; and all four at once, another; making in all five differently distinct sounds'in their character. This, of course, will depend upon the quality of the reeds to be qrranged in the grooves of the boxes from which these several sounds are made. The sliding bar 2' will have afoot-lever suitably connecting with it, so that on pressing on it with the foot and keepingit there, the bar will be brought well down in the groove of the short lever h of the coupling, so as to press the bar clown on the lower side of the slot, and-thus give it a bearing, whereby, on touching the left outer key, the right outer key will be corresp ndingly affected at the same time by the coupling connecting with the two, as described, and producing, by the combined action of the s-zime,;a greater power in the tone of the instrument, when it is desired to obtain it. On removing the foot from the lever, the short lever it will cease to have a bearing in the slot, end the coupling will not thereby be visibly afieoted.

Having thus fully described my invention, ivhat I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In the construction of an upright melodeon, -arranging four swells and springs with the double-reed boxes and bellows, and combining therewith the double series of levers, ais arranged for operating the swells, substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein set forth.

' JONAS BERGER.

- Witnesses:

P. Penmoorsr, Gno. L. Hummn. 

